INDUSTRY INSIDER

Ari Rubenstein From Soundgarden to The Matrix and Ice Age, the industry veteran Job title Lead Compositor, Blue Sky Studios reveals his journey into filmmaking Location Greenwich, CT Website www.curvstudios.com t’s the Nineties and Ari Rubenstein had just returned from a Biography Ari Rubenstein is long exploratory jaunt across US, driven by what author from Maryland. From an early Hunter S Thompson referred to as “a savage journey into age he was inspired by comic I book art and kung fu movies the heart of the American dream”. Unfortunately the “dream” from the Chinese film ended like many others have done, unromantically through a production company, The Shaw Brothers. He has worked variety of menial jobs, not least of which included a stint in at Xaos and Tippett Studio and Seattle setting up mics for a Soundgarden music video in the started his own company Curv, before joining Blue Sky Studios beginning of the grunge scene. Portfolio highlights Rubenstein had gone home to Maryland and his father • Ice Age: Collision Course, 2016 who, unimpressed with his then-directionless existence gave • Epic, 2013 him an ultimatum: he could stay the night but he must pick a • Rio, 2011 trade by the following night or he would have to find • Horton Hears A Who, 2008 somewhere else to sleep. Rubenstein went to the library, • Charlotte’s Web, 2006 reading through a tome that was called The Trade Book in an • Constantine, 2005 attempt to become inspired for a new career path – but to no • Starship Troopers 2, 2004 avail. He returned home, without an answer for his father. • Hellboy, 2004 That’s when he spotted a brochure detailing new computer • The Matrix Revolutions, 2003 animation program at the local community college. “I thought • Alter Echo, 2003 quickly to myself… I can draw really well, and the computer • Africa’s Elephant Kingdom, 1998 may cut out half the labour, I’ll try it,” Rubenstein tells us, “so my entry into this field was based on a lazy, last-minute desperate notion.” This last-minute choice would lead to Rubenstein being hired at a design shop in Florida, where his boss took him to SIGGRAPH, a still growing conference at the time. “SIGGRAPH’s job board in 1992 had two standing boards with Post-it notes, a far cry from today. But it was enough – I didn’t get a job with my boss looking over my shoulder, but I 01 saw the birth of an industry I could explore.” What followed was a two-decade career in visual effects It was like I’d entered across feature films, IMAX, TV and games, predominantly as the NFL and was working, and competing, GIVE A LITTLE with giants RESPECT Ari Rubenstein, Lead Compositor, Ari Rubenstein tells us some invaluable Blue Sky Studios advice for new and aspiring artists looking to join the industry 01 “ Only thing I’d do differently is talk less “Unlike 25 years ago, simple searches in Google and and listen more,” says Rubenstein of what he would change about hisearlier YouTube yield a vast array of information one can learn job roles and grow from,” says Rubenstein. “More than anything, though, give yourself a history lesson so you can come 02 Both personal and commercial side projects are important to Rubenstein. to appreciate those who came before you, whose “One very useful takeaway from both shoulders you’re now standing on, and from this these types of projects is the knowledge of how to distinguish perspective you’ll inherently show respect and become yourself in a big company” one whom others are happy to collaborate with. Show 03 Rubenstein says that understanding humility through honest reflections and a thoughtful your value is key. “Anyone can learn frame of reference. That said, I’m certain I have more how to push buttons in the right sequence, but being someone others humble pie to eat in the future.” choose to work with, versus have to 02 03 work with, should be your goal”

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It felt like a renaissance in computer graphics and filmmaking, partly because three trilogies were being produced globally (The Matrix, Lord Of The Rings and Star Wars prequels) and artists and techniques were cross- pollinating like wildfire Ari Rubenstein, Lead Compositor, Blue Sky Studios

06 a compositor at companies including Xaos and Tippett Studio. “Specifically I enjoy control of the final image quality,” he explains of the drive behind his compositing work. “More psychologically I’m a big picture thinker, and compositing, being at the end of the production pipeline, is where all the disparate elements of artwork come together… I enjoy being in this driver’s seat and taking the film across the finish line.” Rubenstein joined Tippett to work on The Matrix Revolutions. “It felt like a renaissance in computer graphics and filmmaking, partly because three trilogies were being produced globally (The Matrix, Lord Of The Rings and Star Wars prequels) and artists and techniques were cross-pollinating like wildfire. There seemed great humility in the artists of that day, as everyone was being inspired and rewarded in such a way the ego seemed 07 to fall away. I’ll admit I was a bit wide-eyed and bushy-tailed at that point but it was like I’d entered the NFL and was working, and competing, with giants. One day my VFX supervisor Craig Hayes (whom I’d read about in Cinefex for his work on Jurassic Park while I was a wee lad in Maryland) would be taking the time to ride a bike with me down to the ‘stage’ to show me the subtle aesthetics of how smoke appears in light rays across a full-size Stan Winston puppet, and the next day theMatrix 04 directors [the Wachowski siblings] would be at my desk giving notes on the sickest shot I’d ever dreamed I’d have the 04 Blue Sky Studios has worked on a variety of opportunity to work on. It was nuts. Tippett was my big break popular franchises, as it were. It was a time where everything was still not possible, including Ice Age and Rio and so you were creating the industry and expanding it, 05 Rubenstein says that a whereas now it feels there are few new horizons to identify.” wide range of in-house proprietary Nuke tools His work at Tippett overlapped the creation of his own have been developed for 08 company Curv, where Rubenstein was responsible for sales, look development marketing, producing, VFX supervision and all other areas of 06 Being able to “take the the pipeline. Curv would produce 3D animation and 2D film across the finish line” compositing for game cinematics, TV documentaries and is just one of the drives behind Rubenstein’s feature films. After that, Rubenstein went to Blue Sky where 20-year career he worked on films including both theIce Age and Rio series. 07 “ It’s harder to inspire In terms of enhancing his own artistry after 20 years in the when artists can’t envision industry, Rubenstein says that development is more than just a quality of life they can work towards,” says being involved in your job. “From a career perspective I’m Rubenstein of the current always looking for ways to create opportunities so I don’t get state of the VFX industry rutted, physically or financially. This translates into personal 08 Rubenstein had read and commercial projects outside of my day job, but ones about Tippett Studio before joining to work on which fit a few criteria always, those being that it is something The Matrix Revolutions I find creatively and intellectually substantial, that I learn new 09 “ Everyday I’d… see and valuable techniques and that it in some way holds the artwork and efforts which potential to further my career. I think it is these side projects, just filled me up with inspiration,” says more so than my day jobs, which have contributed to my Rubenstein of The Matrix 05 09 development as an artist.” 96 97